Seven months ago, based on personality type, I predicted the winner of the 2008 presidential election. In the March 2008 SST Newsletter, I wrote:

"My view is that Obama is more extraverted than Clinton and thereby will win the Democratic nod. Of the three candidates, McCain -- the most introverted -- will stumble in debates against either Clinton or Obama, and lose. Remember, McCain lost the GOP nomination to the more extraverted Bush in 2000."

As an indicator of Extraversion or Introversion preference I looked at how the candidates behaved after the debates. Like the introverted Dole, whom we first studied through an SST lens in 1996, McCain packed up and left shortly after the debate ended. His battery was low and needed to be recharged. More like the man who beat Dole, the extraverted Bill Clinton, Obama comfortably circulated among the crowd after the debate indicating that his extraverted battery was still charging.

I hasten to add, as I have each time I have written on personality and politics, being introverted or extraverted has nothing to do with competency as a president, nor does it with ability as a salesperson (see my Introversion & Selling article in the archives at www.tildenSST.com.) But we seem to prefer extraverted presidential candidates: Clinton over Dole in 1996; Bush over Gore in 2000; Bush over Kerry in 2004; and Obama over McCain in 2008.

I freely acknowledge that there is much more political science behind each of those elections. But the role of personality is striking and appropriate to point out in a newsletter dedicated to the topics of personality and selling.

On October 23, I aced the 140 yard number six at Toftrees with a seven iron. Playing partner Chris Kelly of Kish Bank witnessed it and took this photo. Shameless self promotion prompted me to write the Top 20 Reasons Why Golf and Selling Are Alike as a means of broadcasting my hole-in-one, which all golfers recognize as a mix of one good shot and a whole lot of luck.

1. discipline
2. strategy
3. execution
4. a replicable method
5. balance -- the swing in golf and the presentation in selling.

Originally written in 1998, this spoof exaggerates the type differences that would come into play when preparing a holiday turkey. Sensing and Thinking instructions line up closely with L-Brain thinking, while Intuitive and Feeling instructions are associated with the R-Brain.